Safety
Tips for Rotary Cutters

Safety Precautions for Rotary Cutters

by Nikki Willhite

Quilters both need and love their tools.
Rotary cutters are one of the most basic tools used for quilting. It is
with the help, efficiency and accuracy of rotary cutters that fabric is cut for
piecing, which must be precise.

Rotary cutters come in all sizes and shapes.
However, the one thing they have in common is that they are sharp and if not
used carefully can result in injury. When you are not using your rotary
cutter, you MUST LOCK it closed. This will keep it from hurting both you
and other people.

If you walk away from a cutting table and leave
an unlocked rotary cutter laying on the board, you are putting anyone in your
home at risk of serious injury.

You can even hurt yourself with the unlocked
blade. Many a quilter has been caught unaware of the open blade. If
you drop an unlocked rotary cutter, and it touches you, it can slice open your
skin.

In addition to always locking your rotary cutter
after EACH cut, you can reduce the risk of injury by wearing a safety glove on
the hand that holds the ruler in place. Wearing shoes protects your feet
should you drop it.

Always store your rotary cutter up high and out
of the sight of children. Most rotary cutters are bright yellow, and
little children love to play with buttons. It won't take them long to
expose the blade, which is as dangerous as giving them a sharp knife.

One last tip which should be obvious is to never
cut toward you. It can be tempting to take shortcuts, but it is not worth
the risk.

The rotary cutter makes cutting fabric so much
faster and easier than the scissors used by our ancestors. Be thankful....
but be careful.

About the Author: Nikki Willhite,
mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing
articles on the topic of
frugal living for over a
decade. Visit her at
www.frugalhappyfamilies.com
- where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal
Happy Families- more than just money!